


Surrender

by NocturnalMe



Series: The Pigeon and the Phoenix [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Saint-14 and my Guardian are buddies, my Guardian being a dork, old dumb gays, time paradox
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22409746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NocturnalMe/pseuds/NocturnalMe
Summary: What if it was the Pigeon who chased the Phoenix and not the other way around? Or, Saint-14 decided to pay a visit to his old friend Osiris, after receiving a revelation that turned the tables.
Relationships: Osiris/Saint-14 (Destiny)
Series: The Pigeon and the Phoenix [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612780
Comments: 14
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [a_cascade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_cascade/gifts).



> Hiee, beautiful people!! ❤️❤️ I'm so happy to post this work!!! This pair stole my heart and soul, and I couldn't not write about them.  
> Please note that when I started writing this fanfiction I hadn't read The Pigeon and the Phoenix lore, that's why I'm tagging this as Canon Divergence. I wanted to add some drama to the already dramatic situation between these two eheheh I just hope I did a good job....
> 
> And my thanks go to [@HelAuditore](http://archiveofourown.org/users/HelAuditore), because I don't know what I would do without her TwT ❤️❤️❤️
> 
> P.s. this story takes place before Devil's Ruin quest.

"Aren't you tired, Indrel?". 

"Huh?". 

The awoken tilted his head to the side as he walked out of his spaceship that had just landed at the Tower, looking at his Ghost with a frown scrunching up his sharp features. 

"We've been working without stopping for a second, and-" Nox, the Ghost, tried to explain, but was immediately cut off by a deep sigh. 

"You don't have to worry about me…" Indrel replied twisting his mouth, then cleared his throat before adding "...this much, I mean.". He knew for sure that if he'd argued about that notion, Nox would've started a long lecture on how they'd always gotten out of troubles thanks to his concern for his _beloved_ guardian. And Indrel wanted to avoid that waste of time. 

Because, _yes_ , he was tired indeed, his body ached for a peaceful sleep in his bed very much. 

There was still one thing he needed to do, though. 

Nox just grumbled something incomprehensible under his metaphorical breath and squinted his sole eye at Indrel. 

Indrel chuckled, one corner of his mouth curling up, as he calmly paced the Tower Plaza, crowded as ever with wandering Guardians and civilians. 

Dawning season had started a few days ago, with its chilly breeze and snowy weather, but Indrel actually loved that time of the year, even if he was rather sensitive to the cold. That was just the perfect excuse to wear his favorite heavier clothed armors. 

He stopped by Kadi 55-30 to see if somebody had sent him messages or items while he was away, then paid a quick visit to Master Rahool to decode a few legendary engrams he got from the latest bounties around the galaxy. 

Once he finished that usual tour, he headed straight to the hangar. As soon as Nox caught up with Indrel's intentions, he did a backflip and peeped joyfully. 

"Are we gonna visit Saint-14?!" Nox asked, he didn't even try to hide his excitement. 

"We are." the awoken nodded, a fond smile stretching his lips. He enjoyed spending time with Saint-14, even though he couldn't still believe he was friends with a living legend. But Saint-14 was just a normal exo who wanted to be helpful to his people, and Indrel admired him for that. He was truly a hero and Indrel always found a moment between bounties and Vanguard assignments to hang out with him. 

Navigating the area easily, it took just some stairs, a turn on the right, corridors and more stairs for the pair to arrive at destination. 

Indrel waved his hand at Amanda, showing a kind smile that the girl returned as she shouted "Hi Guardian!". 

He walked past her workshop to finally reach Saint-14, who was feeding his feathered friends that cooed along with him. 

Indrel bit back an amused grin upon seeing him, the image warmed his heart. When he trusted his voice to not betray his previous hilarity, he greeted the exo. 

"Guardian!" Saint-14's metallic voice boomed. "I'm glad to see you here, my friend." he said as he straightened up his back and brushed the crumbles off his hands. 

"Thanks, Saint." Indrel smiled as his cheeks heated up. "I just got back from a mission and I wanted to see you." he admitted stepping closer as Nox swayed above his shoulder. 

"Your visits are always welcomed." the exo reminded him with a softer tone, before sitting on the ladder behind him. "Tell me, how was your mission?". 

Indrel sat crossing his legs in front of Saint-14 on the floor, and the pigeons surrounded him immediately. He started petting one, his fingers gingerly stroking its little head as it chirped appreciatively. 

"Everything went well. Some Fallen had been stealing refuges' supplies, but we got that solved." he winked as his Ghost nodded in agreement. 

"Nothing can stop us!" Nox piped before flying around Indrel, who laughed shaking his head. His Ghost's enthusiasm never failed to move him. 

"Good news, then." Saint-14 mused, placing one elbow on his thigh and his chin on his open palm. 

Indrel just stared at him for a few moments, studying him up and down with a worried look. 

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked at last as he took the bird he was petting between his hands, ever so carefully like Saint-14 had taught him, and set it in his lap. 

The exo seemed to ponder on that question, but then just sighed heavily as his shoulders sagged under the weight of his precarious mood. 

"I am, I'm sorry, didn't mean to worry you." he replied, his tone truthful, even though there was something off about the way he talked.

Silence fell between them. 

Indrel pursed his lips, then widened his eyes as if he had remembered just then the main intent of that meeting.

"I've got something for you." he explained when he saw the exo's head tip to the right. Indrel couldn't see his face, but he knew Saint-14 was frowning at him, or more likely wearing an expression that resembled a frown, due to his face plates and all. 

Stopping his cuddles reserved to the chubby pigeon still perched in his lap, Indrel rummaged in his fanny pack to retrieve a small package from it. 

It was nothing special to the eye, really. Just a small box wrapped in a dark paper, anonymous and plain, with a fine lavender ribbon on the top of it. 

But certainly the sender was special, Indrel thought. 

The awoken handed it to Saint-14 who took it with slow movements, still confused. 

"It's from…" he left the words hanging in the air as he blushed, returning his attention to the pigeon, suddenly he didn't know what to do with himself. 

He knew it was a risky action, but he couldn't stand that situation anymore. He'd felt the need to step in and act. Indrel may have been hopeless regarding his personal love life, but that didn't mean he couldn't help his friends with theirs. 

Saint-14's mechanic pulse suddenly quickened at the implication Indrel left untold, and his hands trembled a little as he thoroughly unwrapped the gift.

 _Osiris_ ' gift. 

Exos weren't programmed to flush or show other physical feelings of that matter, but Saint-14 felt like burning inside. Swallowing the lump in his throat that didn't allow him to speak, he lifted his head to look at Indrel who was watching him expectantly, his bright orange hues full of hope. 

"What is this?" he asked, his voice now just a hoarse whisper, before ducking his head once again to stare at the object he held between his hands. 

"In my defense-" the awoken spoke up after a pregnant pause that felt like running too much on, "This situation between the two of you had been going for too long, now, and… I needed, _wanted_ , to do something about it." he talked with his voice shaking a bit. 

Saint-14 remained silent, and Indrel knew he should've given a further explanation. 

"Yesterday I was on Mercury, you know, usual doing.. Bounties.. Big hunts with some of my fellow Guardians. I've actually had a bit of trouble with a bunch of Cabals who-" Nox gave him a hard nudge on the temple, cutting off his rambling at once. Indrel laughed nervously, then scratched the back of his head. "As I was saying, I was on Mercury and I went to visit Osiris.".

This was harder than he thought, but now the game was on. 

"Obviously, he was busy doing his stuff.. Research and such. I'm always worried to bother him when I'm there, but I think he likes having me time to time." he knew he was rambling again, and Nox muttered to get to the point, so he bit his bottom lip and resumed talking only once he'd gotten his thoughts in order. 

"He… has many regrets, as you probably know, but… he's trying to redeem himself." he rolled his lips into a tight line. As much as he respected Osiris and his incredible genius, he couldn't agree with some of his decisions, and leaving Saint-14 behind during that mission was surely one of them. 

But he'd sworn to help him, first with saving Saint-14 from the Infinite Forest, then with getting him back in touch with his lost friend. To Osiris' luck, Indrel liked challenges, even though he had to admit he found the latter much more difficult than the other. 

As the warlock spoke, Saint-14 opened the rectangular box, almost fearing of his content. Not that he wasn't used to receiving items from Osiris nowadays, but the man had always been professional and detached since Saint-14 got back; every time he sent the exo something it was just about work, only formal instructions attached. 

The exo wasn't expecting anything else from him, really. Even if so many years passed, he knew Osiris once, and he wasn't the type who sent letters or whatever. He was a sleep-deprived workaholic, after all. 

That didn't mean it hurt less whenever he was face to face with mechanic components, maybe gears or Vex engines, that Osiris delivered to him and nothing more, not even a brief note. 

When he finally lifted the lid of that box, however, every fiber of his body blocked, his circuits hissed in pain as his heart pumped wildly in his chassis. 

"I'm.." he didn't know what he was going to say, his mind gone offline for a second. His throat froze all of the sudden and he could just stare into the box as mixed feelings swirled up and down his wires. 

Indrel's face twisted in pain for his friend. 

"I think he hasn't been sleeping for… days. Because he's been meaner than his usual self." he tried to lighten the mood a bit with a laugh, but quickly regretted it. Nox must have thought the same because he gave him another nudge on the head and Indrel suppressed a groan. 

Saint-14 wasn't looking at him, all his focus was on the two objects reflecting on his helmet, the only barrier he had that hid the tumultuous shifting of his face plates. 

"Sagira warned me before entering the Sundial that he was moody and melancholic, but I didn't think it could be that serious." the awoken took a long, deep breath before continuing. "At first we were speaking… civilly, he made some snarky comments, nothing too much out of the ordinary. Then I told him I’d just completed some bounties for you and he.." he stopped petting the pigeon that ruffled his feathers in disagreement. "He broke down. In front of me."

Saint-14's vital mechanisms seized in his chest as gripped the box with his strong hands. 

"At first, he snapped, saying that you're just a stubborn titan who will never learn." he recalled the scene he witnessed with his own eyes mere hours ago, still thinking he was hallucinating. "I don't actually understand what he meant by that, but.." he shrugged making a face. 

That statement earned him a low grunt from Saint-14, but nothing more. 

"Then, he started yelling that it was all of his fault - as if we don't know that already, that he should've talked when the time was right, that now it's too late and things won't do-". 

The exo inhaled sharply upon hearing those words, his head shot back upwards. 

"-that he wants to see you, that he misses you but.." Indrel swallowed tightly, the image of Osiris' face when he'd confessed his darkest fears still too fresh in his memory. Not that Osiris had never mentioned his undeniable sorrow about how he and Saint-14 had parted ways, but that day the exiled warlock's feelings on the situation had such an outburst that Indrel hadn't known what to do other than staring at him speechless and no little worried for the old man.

"He… still thinks about me?" Saint-14's voice was wrecked and so small when he talked after a short while. "He… misses me?" those words quivered in a static, and Indrel's heart broke hearing them. 

"Of course he does." Indrel assured the titan with the softest smile curving up his lips. "Always speaks about you when I'm there." he admitted in a huff of breath, thinking that maybe those two were even more hopeless than himself. It was clear as the day that they wanted to see each other so bad, and Indrel, the romantic fool he was, understood the distress of that yearning. 

Saint-14 leaned forwards, like he was waiting for the inevitable impact the next words would have caused to his heart. Because he could tell from his friend's change of expression that there was more, and he should've listened, bracing himself. 

In fact, Indrel heaved a short sigh, before speaking again. "But he knows you hate him, that your friendship will never get back to what you'd had once, and he.. thinks his heart hurts less if he can't see you. So he will forget, eventually, and you, too.".

Saint-14 needed time to process what he just told him, Indrel was aware that it wasn't what the exo may have hoped to hear from the awoken. That confession just caused more misgivings and confusion in his already shattered heart, and the box Saint-14 was still holding in his hands didn't help his cause. 

"I think that he would've never talked to me, among all people, about his.. _feelings_ , in any different occasions. I think the lack of sleep worn him out to the point that he couldn't handle it anymore.". 

Indrel saw the exo's figure shake, the rattling of the metal junctures of his armor was the only sound that cut the heavy silence. 

"After that, Sagira's popped out of nowhere and asked us gently to go." She'd been shaken, too, by Osiris' behavior, the awoken remembered the urgence in her voice. "But before we could, Osiris, uhm…" it was hard to find words to describe what happened next, really. He scratched his forehead, his brows stiffly drew together. "He pulled the box out of the belt at his waist, and threw it at my feet.".

Saint-14 gasped and what little remained of his heart sunk down his chassis, his condensation system turning cold as he almost dropped the box on the floor. Then, he closed it once again, the unfastened ribbon laying on his palm, the vision of those two objects now brought an awful ache instead of renewed confidence. 

"In the end, he lashed out at me, asking to do him a favor and burn it before literally shoving me and Nox outside the Sundial." Indrel finished the summary of those terrible fifteen minutes, the longest of his life, because he feared for himself and his Ghost before Osiris' anger, more than before any threats he'd crossed paths with. 

"That's been… extremely rude and a little too dramatic, in my opinion, but I won't judge!" he commented after a while, since Saint-14 was as still as a statue, anything coming from his helmet but a garbled static, almost inaudible, and Indrel was suddenly afraid of having officially killed off the legendary titan with his chattering and poor choices of words. 

Not an honorable death for a former Vanguard member, to say the least. 

"I think.. you should meet." Nox thankfully intervened, his tone shy, as he exchanged hesitant looks with his Guardian. 

Gathering courage, Indrel nodded at the suggestion. "I agree. That's why I gave you the box instead of burning it." he explained as he gestured to the gift with a wave of hand. 

Afterwards, another silence stretched out between them, and Indrel occupied himself with petting the pigeon who had fallen asleep in his lap in the meantime, while Nox jittered around in the air near the awoken. 

Suddenly, Saint-14 stood up from the ladder, his posture taut. "Take me where he hides. I need to talk with him." he declared in a firm tone before walking past Indrel who still sat on the floor. 

It took a bunch of seconds for the awoken to register the shift of events, his brows shot up to his airline as soon as his mind wrapped around Saint-14's request. 

"Like.. now?!" he squeaked scrambling to rise on his feet, as the pigeons took fly frightened by the sudden movements. "Now _now_?!" he asked a second time just to be sure that his ears hadn't betrayed him. 

Saint-14 only nodded without turning to face him, walking straight to Indrel's spaceship. 

The warlock blinked once or twice before sprinting to reach Saint-14, Nox's robotic eye gone as big as it would as he fled next to his head.

Once they got in the spaceship, Indrel's cheeks warmed up, self-conscious of the mess it laid around his quarters, not the most appropriate way to welcome a war hero like Saint-14. 

He cleared his throat way too loudly as he jumped here and there in a foolish attempt to clean up the surroundings at the last moment, Nox appeared on his left just to snort at that miserable scene. It felt like a victory in the Ghost's book since he'd been reprimanding the warlock time and time again for his laziness. 

For his part, the exo was too lost in his thoughts to care about whether or not the Guardian's spaceship was tidy. 

"Don't you… want to-" the awoken stuttered nervously while he made some space between supplies of various origin for Saint-14 to seat. 

The exo showed him his gratitude with a short nod of his head and Indrel's face just turned a darker shade of purple before he literally dashed off to the cockpit. 

A soft chuckle shook Saint-14's chest, then he sat with a heavy thud on the floor. The space was too confined for his sturdy stature to be comfortable, but he didn't have enough energy to complain. Not now. The trip wouldn't have taken long anyway, or at least he hoped so. 

"Are you sure about this?" came Indrel's careful voice from the cockpit as the spaceship started taking off. 

The exo slumped further against the metal wall behind his back. "I've made up my mind so many years ago, my friend." he replied, that newfound resolution rushing along his wires, his mechanical heart beating fast against his chest plates. "I just needed a little push." he added after a moment. He felt grateful towards Indrel, no matter the outcomes of that visit. 

There was a brief pause before Nox materialized out of the air above his guardian's head to wink, or more likely to blink his eye at Saint-14 who giggled amusedly at the gesture. 

"Let's go to the Sundial, then." Indrel decided as he set up the launch for Mercury, praying that Osiris wouldn't have killed him for real this time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAHHH it's time for the last chapter!! YAY!!! Sorry for the long wait, I hope it's worthy it TwT

The warlock had already seen what Saint-14 was capable of in battle, he was one of the toughest titans who had ever been part of the Vanguard and surely lived up to the expectations. However, he couldn't help but being awestruck when the exo rushed in melee using his Sentinel Shield to cover himself while throwing a Rally Barricade some feet away from their position to create a barrier against enemy fire, arc energy lighting up his entire body, as soon as he caught on the situation that preserved at the Sundial's gates. 

A peak of Void Light rushing along his right arm to his clenched fist, Saint-14 proceeded to launch himself against an arpy and completely ripped it to pieces with a good punch right in its core, laughing wholeheartedly. Indrel almost got shot into his shoulder to watch the scene, a behavior that Nox immediately berated him for before the awoken shook himself from that reverie and got into battle himself, throwing a Fusion grenade between a phalanx and a legionary that blew up within a few seconds. 

The pair worked their way easily through the roaming chaos of Cabal and Vex to the Sundial. Indrel quickly knocked down enemy after enemy alternating precise shots of combat bow with sharp blows of sword, while Saint-14 headbutted and struck with his Light shield any approaching treat, tearing metal limbs apart in the process. However, once they got before the door the adrenaline of the fight seemed to dissipate and Saint-14 emitted a static that sounded like he swallowed a knot in his throat. Indrel glanced at him, quirking his lips to the side. But before he could ask anything, the exo marched on and crossed the threshold with long strides. Indrel followed suit, feeling a cold shiver running down his spine. 

"Guardian, what a pleasure to-!" Sagira beeped in greeting, but abruptly stopped as she realized who Indrel was in company of. 

Osiris must have noticed that because he turned with a flourish whip of his cloak, interrupting his silent contemplation of the time, and audibly gasped, his eyes going round and wide in front of his old friend. 

"You-" he tried, his mouth still hidden behind the veil wrapped around the lower part of his face, but Indrel could see how frantically it opened and closed at complete loss of words. 

Sagira chose that moment to dematerialize in a bunch of bright blue cubes as sensing a storm coming. 

Saint-14 walked closer to the petrified man, his steps echoed in the unnatural stillness of the room. "Osiris." he called with a whisper that edged both bewilderment and desperation, his heart constricting in his chest. He couldn't believe he was in his presence again, that wasn't just an illusion of the Infinite Forest, that wasn't just a memory from the deepest corner of his subconscious, but the man himself, flesh and bones, who was now staring at him like the exo was the worst of his nightmares come to life to haunt him personally. 

Wasn't that cruel? 

Taking advantage of Osiris' utter shock, Saint-14 planted himself in the exiled warlock's personal space, shoulders squared and back straight, cutting any chance of escape. 

No running away from that conversation, now. They'd been delaying it for _literally _centuries, and they both knew that.__

____

____

"Care to tell me what this is?" his voice was laced with chagrin as he transmatted in his hand the box he’d held safe in his digital inventory during the previous fight.

Saint-14's emotions were all over the place, his heart was creaking under the pressure of a frenetic beating, the sound so loud in his hearing sensors, almost maddening. As maddening as the silence Osiris offered in response. 

But that lasted only so long because soon shock left place for horror that flashed in the man's eyes the moment reality clicked in motion and his brain registered what Saint-14 was handing him. 

Osiris cleared his throat to suppress a gulp. "Something that should've been ashes by now." he replied then, his tone harsh as he shot an accusatory glance at Indrel who was still leaning against the door frame as if Osiris' anger didn't affect him at all, while he was really trying to play it cool. 

The awoken just shrugged as casually as he could muster, the corners of his lips curled up in a smug smirk, and Osiris squinted, glaring daggers at the unfaithful Guardian. 

When Indrel felt he was losing that staring contest, he subtly rolled his eyes away from Osiris' as he crossed his arms on his chest, a behavior that only increased the exiled warlock's rage. 

Osiris gritted his teeth, before setting his gaze on the exo in front of him once again, as bile was raising in his throat and his heart was stubbornly stuck in his stomach. 

"Care to tell me _why _are _you _here?" he petulantly echoed Saint-14's question, emphasizing the words with an annoyed huff.____

_____ _

_____ _

"I want explanations." the titan simply demanded, and from his tone he wouldn't have accepted 'no' as an answer. 

Osiris groaned in frustration. He felt cornered, not only because there was a fully armored exo obstructing his way. His body wasn't responding to any of his orders of moving, he was rooted to the spot. In addition, neither Sagira or his Light were a resourceful help at the moment. 

After a short reflection on his possibilities, the man found out that there wasn't a scenario where he came out of that situation as victorious. 

Defeated on every front, he could only sigh in surrender, yet he wanted to maintain his dignity, or what lasted of it, intact.

"You, out." he snarled at Indrel, his eyes two flaring pins that drilled holes in the awoken’s bravery. 

A nervous chuckle left the Guardian’s lips under that subtle intimidation, chuckle that quickly turned into a clumsy cough. 

Again, saving face.

"You got it, dude!" Indrel cheered for the exo as he finger gunned in his direction, a gesture that owned him a low, irritated growl from Osiris. 

Saint-14 turned his head enough to nod in appreciation. 

Knowing better than to test the exiled warlock’s patience further, Indrel exited the Sundial as gently requested, his Ghost silently floating over his shoulder. He didn't want to unleash Osiris' wrath upon himself. After all those centuries apart, the two deserved some privacy and the awoken felt he’d overstepped already with his actions. He just hoped it would’ve been worth it in the end. 

Once alone in the big, round room, Saint-14 returned his attention to the man who apparently used that brief distraction to take some steps back, away from him. 

Trying to hide the discomfort that notion brought to his heart, he shook the box as he asked "What do these mean?", his request more urgent than before. 

"I.." Osiris gripped at the Sundial's control panel in a pointless attempt of steeling himself as he tried to speak, cursing Sagira through their neural bond for leaving him defenseless in that time of need. 

Since the man clearly wouldn't have given up any time soon, Saint-14 decided to cut the pleasantries and opened the box.

In a lilac bed of velvet laid a flower in a clean resin pane and a feather. 

The flower was a Bieberstein's Crocus, a rare exemplar that Saint-14 had recognized from his expeditions in Old Russia, back to an era when nature still grew lushly in that area, while the feather definitely belonged to a majestic bird, short yet tapered and elegant in its form, the exo had guessed it could be an Amethyst starling due to its unique purple color that faded into a dark blue, almost black, and shone azure under the light. 

Osiris remembered those two objects too well. He remembered the moment he'd carefully picked the crocus during a mission on Earth, thinking that the titan would’ve loved it, but immediately hid it in his digital inventory as soon as he’d seen the same titan come closer, easily climbing the hill Osiris had been standing on. He remembered the day he’d found the feather lying on the ground as he was doing research in the garden, one of the fewest quiet places for him to be in peace, his nose buried in tomes, when a glint caught his eye. He’d collected the item, imagining Saint-14’s joy if he would’ve seen it.

Had he been less of a coward, maybe he would’ve really given both to the titan as demonstration of his feelings toward him. Instead, he’d shooed that silly trail of thoughts, stowing the objects away, focusing on more important issues at hand. Although his duty always came first and foremost for Osiris, there was a sentimental part of himself that he couldn’t stop from existing, and that’d been what pushed him to keep the flower and the feather in that box, to preserve their original beauty in every way possible, using the resin for the crocus and special products for the feather, he even spared a small amount of his own Light to protect both from the passing of time. 

That particular care couldn’t go unnoticed to Sagira, the witty Ghost she was. She’d waited and waited until, some time later, she’d subtly suggested the exiled warlock to gift them to the exo during Crimson Days, but Osiris had refused categorically. 

Then, that mission came.

Just another regret to add to the endless list. 

"Why didn't you give me this gift earlier?".

The question stabbed Osiris’ chest like a knife, and he stopped breathing for a second. He thought Saint-14 was about to physically assault him, his stance all but defensive at this point as he stepped forwards, cancelling his worthless retreat in two strides. In all honesty, he hoped the titan would’ve turned that conversation into a fight, _that_ Osiris could handle, just like old times when arguments between them got too heated to be set verbally.

"You should remember how things used to be back then." came the weak excuse of Osiris, that sounded pathetic even to his own ears. "Complicated." he added shortly after as he bowed his head to stare at a blank spot on the floor.

“I would’ve accepted it nonetheless.” confessed Saint-14, clenching his fists at his sides to stop his body from shaking. All the built up tension was growing stronger and stronger.

Whipping his head upward again, Osiris opened his mouth to reply, but stubbornly closed it, biting his bottom lip so hard he almost tasted iron on his tongue.

Did the exo mean what Osiris thought?

But Saint-14 didn’t lend him enough time to reflect about the previous statement because then he asked "Why bring me back if you won’t even talk to me?".

"It was the right thing to do!" the man heard himself yell, and immediately recoiled from that outburst, folding his arms tight on his chest and shrinking into his robes like a bird would do in its ruffled feathers. 

He could feel the warmth from his Light rush all at once to the surface, twisting his guts and tensing his muscles in the most awful way. His fingers itched to wield his blade and let loose his flames. The only thing that held him back from doing so was that foolish, sentimental part of his, part that was desperately clinging to Saint-14’s words from earlier.

Shattering the stretched quiet that’d fallen between them, a crackle of static echoed from the back of the exo’s throat in resemblance of a scoff. Who was the stubborn one, again?

Transmatting the box back in his inventory, Saint-14 looked down his height to the exiled warlock, his hands moving to his own hips in a more imposing pose as he demanded "And you don't think I deserve to voice my feelings?". 

"Don’t go there." the man lifted his index as a warning sign. "You shouldn't be here in the first place, we... shouldn't be having this conversation _at all_." he pointed out in a somber tone. "It's over, go back to the Tower.” he dismissed him in the end with a wave of hand before turning his back to him and pretending to work on the Sundial’s panel control.

A humorless chuckle resounded in Saint-14’s chassis as he slowly shook his head. He knew that stoicism was nothing but a facade, and felt offended that Osiris thought he could fool him so easily.

“You know what's your worst flaw, my friend?” he asked instead of letting his looming anger prevail over his rational part. “You always assume what other people do or must feel.”.

“And my assumptions never fail.” the exiled warlock bragged with more than a hint of arrogance coloring his voice, his fingertips pushing random buttons on the panel while his mind was focusing on how Saint-14’s voice sounded suddenly tired.

“I'm an exception, then.”.

That answer surprised Osiris, somehow, but he wouldn’t have given him the satisfaction to know it.

"Oh, please-” he grunted as he turned to face the titan again just to show how hard his eyes rolled to the ceiling upon that statement, but his voice soon died in his throat, as well as his resolution, because there was no helmet to meet his incredulous self, but the exo’s bright purple orbitals that were staring at him intently, the same fiery determination in his eyes that brought memories back from the past, that Osiris always longed to see once more despite his ridiculous promises to forget, that spirit now shone in them as vivid as ever.

His legs threatened to give out, his head spun as a sudden dizziness overtook him.

When did he take off his helmet? Osiris hadn’t heard any sound, but all of a sudden his heartbeat was drumming in his ears, in his brain, it was hard to breathe, let alone _think_.

On his behalf, Saint-14 finally managed to silence the man at last, although he knew he shouldn’t have dwelled much on that burst of pride, he had to strike quickly before the exiled warlock could recover from the moment of stupor. 

"No, now _you_ listen to me." he interjected the man with an imperative tone, one he didn’t often use but in extreme cases, and that situation surely fell within that category. "I've been alone with my thoughts for too long, sometimes I wanted to pour everything onto one of your Echos just to lift some weight from my chest, but that wouldn't have been enough to lessen the ache.” his Light was literally fuming from every seams as he spoke, he could feel it pervading the air, unable to hold it down anymore.

Osiris' eyelashes quivered, his gaze running erratically from smooth plates to sharp angles, his breath came labored through the veil at his neck as though he was suffocating, and maybe he was indeed, his heart crushing under the feelings he beared for the exo before him. 

“This is all you wanted to tell me?” Urged Osiris attempting a detached tone but failing miserably as a tempest of emotions thundered within himself. 

He just realized that... Saint-14 was there, safe and alive, staring at him like Osiris held his whole universe in his hands. Like _he_ was Saint-14’s whole universe. And Osiris didn’t know what to do with the emotions that acknowledgement revived. 

“No." the exo murmured as he nulled the final gap between their bodies, his hand raising to reach Osiris’ cheek. “Let me see your face. Stop hiding." that request reverberated from his metallic lips like a plea. 

Even through the thick gauntlet, Saint-14’s touch was comforting, familiar even, achingly so, in a way only few things Osiris could consider. 

Carefully, Saint-14 lifted the helmet from Osiris’ head with both his hands, then placed it at the base of the Sundial, before cupping his face, cold metal against weathered skin.

Saint-14 felt a vicious pang of mortification as he noticed the prominent dark circles around the man’s eyes. Indrel had been unfortunately right about him having troubles with sleeping, an issue that Osiris always suffered from, and the exo had been trying to help him, unsuccessfully despite his goodwill. 

He gingerly bumped his forehead against Osiris’, thumbs stroking his hollow cheeks, hidden under layers of salt and pepper beard, in circular, slow movements. He wished he wasn’t wearing his armor right now because he wanted to feel the man under his hands, trace the wrinkles that marked his face, soak into his Light, let it tingle under his fingertips.

"Don't you dare running away from me, love." he spoke in a low rumble, his eyes never leaving Osiris’, boring into them.

All the exiled warlock could do was lower the veil around his mouth while his mind froze here and there, his heart skipped one or two or three beats. 

"You-" all the air was knocked out from his lungs as Saint-14 suddenly wrapped his strong arms around him. More than the embrace itself, it was Saint-14's Light that made him violently shudder, a force he wasn't used to be around anymore, and now he was trapped in it, engulfed by it, and that was too much to handle.

Osiris sucked in a wet breath as his traitorous body slumped against the exo. He squeezed his eyes shut, hiding his face in Saint-14’s chestplate, as his hands gripped around metal.

"Stop grieving me. I’m here. I’m not dead." the titan reminded him in the softest of tones, one hand moving to brush his bald head in a tender caress.

The man tensed visibly at that reminder. "You were!" he shouted in a feeble whisper as he snapped his head back to glare at the exo. He didn’t exactly know why those words roused such a rush of anger that clenched at his guts now, making him feel sick. May it be the awareness of his fault, may it be Saint-14’s behaviour about the whole situation. 

The exo’s eyes flashed off for a long moment, as if contemplating the right way to continue that conversation, before turning on again. "You can't live in the past, you can't obsess over your failures, you're gonna lose your mind!".

Surely, that wasn’t the best option. 

Because Osiris pushed his hands against his chassis to fully face him. "If I don't fight, who's gonna?" he challenged Saint-14 with a sharp gaze hardening his features.

"Osiris, you stupid fu-" Saint-14 sighed in a puff of static, trying to not lose his temper, although the man was so good at triggering that side of him sometimes. "You're not alone in this.".

"I am. Nothing will change that.".

The exo’s orbits comically widened at that obstinacy before metal plates shifted quickly in a frown. "You're forcing yourself in this self-inflicted punishment. That's ridiculous!" he protested as he gripped with measured force at Osiris’ shoulders as though shaking some sense into him.

Even if he terribly missed having Saint-14’s arms draped around himself like a shield, he didn’t let that detail distract him from the indignation the titan’s statement incited. 

"Ridiculous?!" his voice came out strangled, the vein on his neck was pounding so hard. "You died because of me!” he then shouted slamming a clenched fist on Saint-14’s chest armor, more out of frustration than aiming to hurt him since he knew that was nothing but a tickle for the titan. “I can't make the same mistake, not with you, not with any of the other Guardians out there." he winged one arm open to point at the universe outside the Sundial.

Saint-14 waited a long moment before replying, while his gaze wandered up and down the man’s face only to set on his hazel hues. "Osiris... we're soldiers. We protect our companions and the civilians, and we may die in the process. It's just how things are, it’s part of our duty, our creed." he countered, hoping that Osiris would’ve been reasonable in the end, but he knew his optimism was misplaced.

"We’re talking about you!” Osiris cried out, torn between pushing the titan away and pushing him closer to his body, a violent conflict that’d endlessly been waging in his heart. “ _You_ shouldn't've been dead for starters." he lowered his voice until it was just a dull mumble as his hand slowly rested on Saint-14’s cheek plate. "I don't..." he choked around a knot in his throat, his bottom lip trembled.

' _I don't deserve your forgiveness_ ' that was what he left unsaid.

Saint-14 stared at him in silence, feeling impotent before the man’s agony. Osiris’ involvement in his departure centuries ago was obvious, yet the titan had taken advantage of the time he spent alone in the Infinite Forest to reflect, and reflect, and reflect, while he was desperately trying to survive among any sort of enemy, Geppetto the only soul to witness the hardest battle of his life. And in his last fleeting moments of lucidity before his systems shut down once and for all, he remembered he thought that what he felt for Osiris was stronger than the grudge of having been left behind, stronger than the betrayal his heart crushed under as soon as he realized his impending defeat, stronger than any wounds he’d endured fighting against Vex and Cabals, stronger than death itself. 

But then, history changed. A Guardian had come to rescue him. A Guardian whom Osiris himself had sent, who’d told him about what happened since his disappearance, about Osiris’ exile, about the Sundial, about the Red War. And Saint-14 knew he should’ve been grateful to be alive more than anything else, still his mind could only focus on the fact that Osiris was still alive, somewhere out there. And nothing else mattered to him. 

Osiris’ pleading voice was what pulled him back to the present. 

“Why aren’t you angry at me?!” the exiled warlock’s eyes were wild and glossy, like he was struggling to bite back tears that had gathered at their corners, while his hand pressed harder against Saint-14’s metal cheek, his calloused palm prickling at the strange contrast of hot seams and smooth, warm panels, and he found himself absently wondering about the cause of that sudden rise in temperature, if that was his Light spinning out of control at last or just the reaction of the exo’s body to their current proximity. 

Saint-14 let out a little electronic reverb that served as a dry chuckle. “I’d been, oh, a part of me still _is_.” he assured Osiris leaning back just enough to fix him down with a look, his lower faceplates shuffling in a way to form a cocky yet soft grin. 

But before Osiris could reply or ague back, Saint-14 bowed outward as his hand moved from the back of the exiled warlock’s head to his chin, tilting his face up, marvelling at how vulnerable the man looked. Then, he slowly slotted their mouths together. 

Osiris was too stunned to wrap his mind around what was happening in that exact moment. Time seemed to stop while his heart exploded into blazing shreds. He’d be lying if he denied his fantasies about that scene, as though he’d never imagined it before, especially as a younger man. However, the titan managed to take his breath away nonetheless, to shut him twice in a day, to amaze him in the most desired way.

And he was only a forlorn soul, Traveler take him.

Eventually, he forced his body to act somehow, and kissed Saint-14 back, both his hands framing the exo’s face as he closed his eyes and let himself feel after centuries of atrocious refusal.

As repressed emotions came in a rush and swallowed both organic and metallic heart in a passionate swirl, the kiss quickly grew desperate, Osiris leaning on the titan’s sturdy body to reach for his mouth, his Light, his heart, while his figure resumed to shake like a leaf, overwhelmed by circumstances. And Saint-14 tightened his grip around the exiled warlock, holding him, squeezing him like he feared he could vanish at any seconds. 

“Saint-” Osiris called him, his tone so feeble as he broke the kiss to shoot him a wary look. He was dreaming, wasn’t he? That couldn’t be actually happening. It was just a vicious joke of his poor, fucked-up brain. 

Then, why could he hear the exo’s clicking pulse like it was his own? Why could he sense the exo’s Light so fiercely, cloaking his very core like it wanted to merge with it? 

He decided he didn’t want to think too much for once in his life when the titan pressed his metal lips again against his, as asking him permission. And that contact marked the point of no return for Osiris, because the man opened himself to Saint-14, at his complete mercy, like a dam breaking under too much pressure, pressure being all those feelings he’d been trying to suffocate throughout centuries.

The exo’s enthusiasm certainly made up for the lack of tongue as he let Osiris explore his mouth with his, emitting small whining noises every time the exiled warlock reached a sensitive spot, noises that spurred Osiris further in his actions.

"I've been chasing your reflection for years.” Saint-14’s ragged voice resounded in the kiss, down his chassis, in Osiris’ ears, along with their frenzied heartbeats. The purple lights shone through his cheeks as he worked his jaw to welcome the man’s tongue better, his entire figure shivering hard as it brushed against a soft nub at the back of his mouth. 

Osiris must have felt it, because he faltered in his exploration, but just for a second, before resuming with much more ardor, his tongue lavishing and mapping inch from inch of metal and flexible fibers, while his hands ran down to the exo’s neck, grasping on steel, itching to touch everywhere simultaneously. He just wanted to... 

A loud growl crawled up Saint-14’s throat, then, a sign that told Osiris he must have been doing good if he elicited such a reaction with just a kiss. Yet, he knew their conversation wasn’t over and they should end what Saint-14’s visit had started before they could face other, more exciting… topics. 

Willing himself to break apart from the exo’s mouth once more, he diverted his aim to brush his lips against Saint-14’s lower faceplates, then peppered the area with feather-light kisses before coming to a stop at the edge of his jaw. 

The exo showed his gratitude for Osiris’ decision by nuzzling his temple gingerly. 

“Your Echoes were the only thing that guided me through, saved me from madness.” he added then as he distanced himself enough to stare at Osiris with intent, his arms circling his waist now, using that pause to regain some control over his body. “Your memory was my anchor to sanity, birdie.” he muttered at last as his thumbs drew circular, soothing movements on the exiled warlock’s lower back.

Osiris felt his cheeks flame up upon hearing the term of endearment, and quickly burrowed his merry smile in the crook of Saint-14's neck. “Don’t call me that.” he scolded the exo, earning a muffled rumble of laughters in return, not so convincing as a request since his evident appreciation. Then, he stood right there, breathing in Saint-14’s scent, a mix of greasy oil, bread, metal and righteousness, as the titan’s words bounced back and forth in his mind. 

A few seconds passed, or minutes, or hours.

"You've been filling my dreams.” Osiris’ breath hitched mid sentence, as if the sole thought of recounting them sufficed to recall the torment of their aftermath. He wouldn’t say that what he saw the most was Saint-14’s body torn apart by Vex troops, he wouldn’t say that what rang in his brain was the exo’s silent cry as life and Light abandoned his systems, he couldn’t even describe the dread that always followed those sleepless nights. At times, Osiris would just dream about his face, the only beautiful image that could soothe his old heart full of regrets and misery.

Saint-14 replied to his words with silence, he wouldn’t have asked questions, not now. There’d be other occasions for that later, yet knowing the exiled warlock had been thinking about him, too, was a comforting reassurance, as though what happened between them so far wasn’t enough to ease his doubts. 

One hand reaching up, he cradled the man’s head as he stared down at him, his orbits now half-lidded but filled with untamed emotions.

"I love you, Osiris." he confessed in a solemn whisper.

Osiris' throat turned dry in a split-second, his face burnt from both surprise and embarrassment. "Stop. Please." his voice implored while his heart begged for that to be true, in sudden fear that his ears had betrayed him. 

But Saint-14 was nothing but persistent, because he knew the man. 

"I've been in love with you way before our Vanguard days.” he forged on, but his voice broke at the end as feelings that’d been coiling in his frantic heart now spilled out in waves, an unstoppable force swiping everything else in its wake. 

Osiris was stubbornly silent, though, processing what he’d just been told, like he still couldn’t believe it wasn’t just one of his vivid visions. 

The exo wasn’t surprised, so he decided to continue along that path, hoping to breach Osiris’ well-guarded defenses once and for all.

“It’s always been you, Osiris. Even in the darkest times, my heart beat for you and you only.” he assured his previous declaration, the hand now sliding back to his cheek. He gently stroke it as he studied the exiled warlock, nothing out of ordinary for him as he’d always tried to decipher his intentions, especially by his body language, a never-ending challenge that seemed getting just harder and harder with time. But he was in for a worthy victory, no matter how many strategies he’d had to change.

Osiris’ lips opened to speak, yet no coherent word came out, only shaky, frustrated noises, as his eyes, impossibly wide and veiled with unshattered tears, were fixed on the titan’s backlit purples. How did Saint-14 expect him to be functional after- 

The exo nipped in the bud that trail of thoughts as he rested his forehead against Osiris’, then grazed his bottom lip between his, before turning that delicate contact into a proper kiss, although there was no urgency now, despite his free hand placed on one hip, his fingertips digging into flesh. A honeyed thrill flowed in his wires while heat stirred in his lower chassis, leaving him giddy, as he felt the man’s tongue easily find its way in his mouth to claim what it craved. 

And Osiris’ reluctance was tumbling down bit by bit, touch after touch. His face was burning, and not because of the solar energy igniting his veins. 

The moment had come for him to choose between pursuing a lonely life of remorses or starting a new one with the titan who shared his sentiments.

Placing one final peck on Saint-14’s upper lip, he carefully snaked his arms around the titan’s shoulders as he stood on his toes, his breath ghosting over grey steel now.

“I-I...” he stuttered, then cleared his throat to hide his insecurity. But at last, he decided to voice the feelings that ought to be buried in the deepest part of his core. The exo aimed for his weaknesses, and brought him to his knees. 

For once, he was glad to lose. 

“I love you, too.”.

As a burst of happiness like he’d never felt before in his entire life swallowed his heart, Saint-14 let himself be guided by circumstances. Before the exiled warlock could back off, the exo suddenly lifted him up from the ground, his arms promptly fastening around his hips to secure his balance. 

A startled yelp, and Osiris’ eyes popped out of their sockets. He quickly tightened his thighs around the exo’s midsection as his heart jumped first in his throat and then down his guts, both out of surprise and mild panic.

Scratch his previous statement, Saint-14 left him speechless _three_ times that day. 

Although Osiris was about to curse him for that reckless act, the titan soon started laughing in earnest at his reaction, his whole face shuffling in an amused smile as he soaked it all up. He liked to catch the man off guard.

And Osiris couldn't help but joining him, his laughter too contagious and heartfelt to be ignored. 

Geppetto chose that very moment to materialize above Saint-14’s shoulder, his pointy appendages stretching out for a split second in surprise before that scene.

“Have you two finally sorted your issues out?” he asked, his tone genuinely content for that awaited conclusion.

In a flash of bright blue, Sagira made her entrance in the conversation just to add “It was time, by Light!”, the same amount of sarcasm and relief tinged her voice.

Osiris testily glared at his Ghost. “You left me! You really shouldn’t be speaking right now.” he shot back trying to sound authoritative despite his current position of being held like a maiden by his… He couldn’t quite put a name on what Saint-14 was for him, not after what happened that day. But he knew he wouldn’t have let the exo go ever again, no matter what.

“I’m glad I did it, so you can stop pouting!” Sagira commented and the titan laughed again, holding his warlock steadily in his vigorous embrace, his hands resting firmly on his sides.

Sagira might have put it lightly, but she’d shared his loss and pain, had gone through all the suffering along with him, so Osiris knew she was truly happy for him and wasn’t just teasing. 

His features gently softening, Osiris looked at her and offered a rare, tender smile that Sagira returned with a blink of her fluorescent iris. They didn’t need to speak to communicate, as it often happened between Guardians and their little companions; after centuries of coexistence, the two of them knew how to share gratitude in their own personal way.

And the same was true for Saint-14 and Geppetto. The exo playfully bonked his head with the latter who then beeped joyfully as he twirled in the air.

Afterwards, the two Ghosts kept chirping as they fled in cycles, while the former Vanguard Commanders got lost into each other’s eyes as though nothing else existed beside that moment.

As soon as they both exited the Sundial, they didn’t have enough time to bid each other goodbye properly that Indrel spotted them immediately, as if he was just waiting for them to appear at any given second. 

Osiris sighed annoyed at his sight, and Saint-14 lightly nudged him on the side, earning a huffy grunt in response.

Indrel stopped before the older men, his hands hidden behind his back as his eyes bounced between them in a mischievous way, before landing on the exiled warlock at last. 

“You don’t have to thank me.” he intercepted both showing a cocky grin that only infuriated Osiris further.

Osiris could've stressed him out with a long rant about how disrespectful that lad was being. Instead, he chose a faster way to teach him that lesson.

In fact, he whacked the back of Indrel’s head hard in a swift move, and the awoken hissed and shrinked in his shoulders, quickly covering the hit part with a hand.

Saint-14 bursted out laughing, enjoying the fact that the exiled warlock opted for a titan tactic rather than words. And that thunderous sound that shook his entire body almost soothed Osiris’ anger.

Almost.

Unfortunately, the awoken recovered soon from the blow, even Osiris’ grumpiness couldn’t scratch his good mood. 

“Sooo, how did it go?” he inquired eagerly as he rocked on his heels, looking very childish, but he couldn't refrain his excitement. 

The exo threw Osiris a quick, sly glance, the purple light inside his mouth flashing twice as he heaved a muffled breath of static that rang suspicious to Indrel’s ears, as much as the obvious evidence that two of them weren’t at each other’s throats and not even a drop of blood had shed from the Sundial’s stairs.

But all his wishful cues found confirmation in Osiris’ behaviour.

“Uhm- well, I-I think.” the exiled warlock mumbled very eloquently, avoiding eye contact with Indrel altogether, while his traitorous cheeks turned red. He hated how that child could read him with just a look.

Saint-14 circled his waist with a thick arm and pulled him closer. “I’ll say _great_.” he was quick to correct Osiris, a foreign smugness tugging at the edges of his tone. He felt like yelling at the top of his metallic lungs that he finally was with the man he loved and neither destiny nor evil force would’ve torn them apart.

Osiris abruptly tilted his head up to glower at the exo, but when he saw his proud profile and noticed how relaxed and genuinely happy he looked as he stood next to him, a smile bloomed across his face, his hazel eyes gleaming under a new, brighter light. He felt suddenly lighter, as though a burden had lifted from his chest and he could breathe again, free. 

As Indrel watched the two's reactions to his question, a sense of sheer joy filled his entire being. To know that he'd succeeded in bringing them back together and making them confess their real feelings to one another was more rewarding than any other accomplished mission. He clapped his hands together, a grin spreading across his face as a victorious cry escaped his throat. His happy squeal echoing up to Brother Vance’s Tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it!!! The gay grandpas are reunited, at last uwu another victory in the Guardian's pockets heh  
> Also, I've chosen to tag this as time paradox because it's implicated that Saint-14 remembers his death and it's uhm.... it sort of happened in the writing process, but I didn't feel to delete that part. I hope you enjoyed it anyway c.c

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are much appreciated.  
> Find me as [theoldgaylion](http://theoldgaylion.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.


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